When you’re going through a difficult time in your life, it can feel like you have no one to talk to. Even the people that you’re closest to can feel far away, or you could be worried about being a burden. I know that feeling, what I also know is that there is always someone to talk to, even if you don’t know them. That’s where texting a crisis line could come in, you don’t have to be suicidal to seek help from these crisis lines. Their purpose is to help people who are struggling regardless of what their situation is by listening and figuring out what they can do to make you feel calm and safe.   

When you first text the line it will tell you to start the conversation with a keyword that it will give you, after that, it will send you two automated messages letting you know that you’re being connected to an actual person.“Crisis Counselors”,  are volunteers who donate their time to working at the crisis line. Crisis counselors are not professionals but are trained on how to help as much as they can in a moment of need such as a panic attack. They can help with providing support and comfort. Approximately, five minutes after you receive the two automated messages you will be connected to a Crisis Counselor. The first thing a crisis counselor will do is introduce themselves. Next, they will look at what you said in regards to your particular situation and reflect on it to provide the best help they can. They may ask questions to better understand your situation and how you’re feeling. Once they respond the conversation will begin and they will allow you to share at your own pace. You can talk back and forth for as long as you may need, conversations last on average 15-45 minutes. 

Once you’ve explained how you’re feeling and messaged for however long you may need, they will try and assess how you’re doing in comparison to the beginning of your conversation. Then, you and your counselor will decide if you are in a “cool place” meaning that you are calmer and able to handle your emotions on your own. Lastly, they’ll send you a survey about how your experience went, this helps them figure out how to best help people in the future and what they might change to help accomplish that. 

Life can really tear you down and make you feel like you don’t matter, most people go through these emotions it’s almost inevitable. Especially in your teenage years, you’re growing and trying to figure out your place in the world and that kind of pressure can make it seem impossible to get by. The most important thing to remember is that even if you feel alone, you aren’t. Calling hotlines and texting crisis lines has a negative connotation, people can tend to make it seem like you’re crazy for needing help or that your feelings are nothing compared to others. However, that stigma doesn’t make it a negative thing. No one is weak for needing help. The courage to seek the help you need is incredibly difficult to muster, but once you do you’ll realize the positive effect it can have on your life. I sincerely hope that anyone who’s having a hard time sees this and really takes it into

Resources:

https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/

Text the word HOME to 741 741 to contact the crisis line

call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255